By EARYEL BOWLEG

Tribune Staff Reporter

ebowleg@tribunemedia.net

ACTING Commissioner of Corrections Doan Cleare said former FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried is getting no preferential treatment in prison, adding that “all inmates are treated equally”.

The acting commissioner told The Tribune yesterday that the 30-year-old will remain in the prison’s infirmary until the facility’s classification board has seen him and recommended a suitable place for him to be housed.

As for what the options the board may look into, Mr Cleare said: “That is (privileged) information — I cannot release that to the public. I cannot give the options the classification board will give me because I don’t have the options as yet. They will be seeing him sometime today or tomorrow. He will be placed in a well secured area (of BDCS).”

He also said Bankman-Fried’s vegan diet will be catered to if officials are advised to do so by prison doctors.

Giving an update on Bankman-Fried’s current state, Acting Commissioner Cleare said from all indications he has from the medical department he is “normal”.

The disgraced businessman was denied bail on Tuesday by Chief Magistrate Joyann Ferguson-Pratt after being deemed a flight risk. Bankman-Fried was remanded to the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services (BDCS) until his next court appearance in February. He did not waive his right to an extradition hearing.

Before proceedings got underway, Bankman-Fried’s counsel asked that his client be allowed to take his anti-depressant medication, Ensam, which he was not able to during his arrest.

He said his client takes Zyrtec and Adderall for allergies and attention deficit disorder respectively, claiming that prisoners in BDCS are not routinely given their medication as prescribed, or at all.

Yesterday, Acting Commissioner Cleare confirmed Bankman-Friend has his medication while in the Fox Hill facility.

Questioned on the claims regarding inmates not getting their medication, he replied: “When he came to us, he came with his medication and our doctors obviously, they have to look at them and he has his medication.”

There is the concern by local observers that Bankman-Fried will get preferential treatment, but Mr Cleare rejected that assertion.

“He is getting no preferential treatment. All inmates are treated equally,” he said.

Regarding Bankman-Fried's vegan diet, the acting commissioner stated prison officials will have to be accommodating with his food requirements if doctors say so.

“We have to once the doctor say to us that we have to accommodate his diet, then we have to.”

The country’s only prison has been the subject of scrutiny both locally and internationally for its hygiene standards and overcrowding, yet the institution is making improvements, according to Acting Commissioner Cleare.

“The prison for the last two years has been under a tremendous amount of renovations and in fact it is going on today,” he explained.

“We had a tour of the prison two weeks ago where we showed the press that there are some ongoing renovations. So, you know, it’s not a five star hotel, but with our limited resources we are doing the best we can to renovate.”